Taking up driving lessons is a must if you’re aiming to get your very own driver’s license. There are plenty driving schools to choose from, but those who prefer to save on expenses will usually turn to those in the household with more experience behind the wheel.
A U.K. survey found the top bad driving habits young drivers get from their parents
It’s a typical scenario with Filipinos, considering how we especially look up to older members of the family. Valuable nuggets of wisdom handed down from parents to their children include life lessons and driving habits. Unfortunately, not all of them make sense. In a number of cases, they can even be dangerous.
And it seems that we’re not alone in this regard. According to a U.K. survey by driving school Young Driver, many drivers below the age of 18 picked up quite a few bad motoring habits from their parents. The school asked its roster of instructors to name the 10 worst driving habits that potential motorists picked up from their parents, and we’re listing them here.
1. Not following proper procedures when turning or shifting lanes
Young people are predictably impulsive, but this trait becomes even more of a liability in the driver’s seat.
Is it that difficult to flick this simple switch when making a turn or switching lanes?
When turning or changing lanes for example, the procedure is to check the mirror first for incoming traffic, use the appropriate turn signal, then execute the maneuver. Instructors noticed that many students simply skip to the third step.
2. Steering with one hand or crossing hands
There’s a reason why holding the steering wheel at the 10 and 2 o’ clock positions is recommended. This gives drivers better control of the vehicle, especially when encountering unexpected situations such as a sudden bump or pothole. Using just one hand or crossed hands for steering compromises that, leading to accidents.
3. Failing to observe one's surroundings
Presence of mind is important when taking the wheel, yet many young drivers can be prone to distractions. A parent could become complacent when taking a frequently traveled route, and kids pick up on this behavior. Emotional or psychological states also play a role in a driver losing focus while operating a vehicle.
4. Coasting
As parents are predisposed to being budget-conscious, they will grab any opportunity to either earn more money or save the ones they have. One of the ways for the latter is in coasting or letting the vehicle cruise with the gearbox in Neutral, in the belief that it saves fuel. Younger family members will think that this is a good thing, oblivious to the fact that it reduces a car’s ability to power away from danger when necessary.
5. Speeding
This is another bad habit that parents unwittingly pass down to their children. Leaving home behind schedule is seen as acceptable, since they can easily make up for it by traveling at dangerous speeds along the way.
Speed limits are not merely a suggestion especially on expressways
It might be quite a rush for a young person, but it’s not so fun when it ends in a collision. Another thing is that it encourages young drivers to not plan their trips in advance.
6. Shifting down sequentially instead of block shifting
Older drivers have been taught to downshift sequentially, using engine braking to slow down the vehicle. The lighter weight and more efficient braking systems on modern cars have allowed ‘block changing’ or skipping gears when downshifting, reducing wear and tear on the clutch and drivetrain. The caveat here, however, is that the appropriate gear has to be selected based on vehicle speed.
7. Failing to proceed with caution on a road junction
An older driver might rely solely on traffic lights or lack of cars in proceeding at an intersection, or simply merge at full speed into the flow of traffic on an expressway. A younger driver noticing this will have the impression that a lack of caution is acceptable, until a fender-bender happens.
8. Riding the clutch
This is an old driving habit that not only parents are guilty of, but some driving schools as well (a member of Philkotse’s editorial team experienced this firsthand when he was just learning to drive).
Riding the clutch pedal will wreak havoc on your manual transmission
Riding the clutch refers to keeping the clutch pedal on a manual transmission partially engaged. As the clutch struggles to fully engage with the flywheel, it undergoes premature wear on the disc, which affects shifting.
9. Impatience or aggression
It's another result of leaving late or treating every drive as a race. Moreover, it also stems from an undue sense of entitlement on the road. Those driving a bigger vehicle, for instance, might feel the compulsion to muscle their way in a traffic queue, to the chagrin of other drivers. This makes quite an impression for younger passengers on board. A more extreme form is road rage, which can lead to tragic consequences.
10. Believing myths or outdated driving styles
This includes practicing all the bad habits mentioned above, and then some. For example, older drivers and even younger ones still think that idling the engine after ignition is necessary on new cars (it’s not), checking blind spots is unnecessary since other drivers should compensate for your maneuvers (they shouldn’t), or that overusing turn signals annoys everyone (it doesn’t).
Young Driver Marketing Head Sue Waterfield offers an explanation why these bad habits persist. “For many parents it may be decades since they passed their test, so trying to remember how to teach someone else to drive can be very difficult. Not only that, but advice has changed over the years, so some of what they do remember may no longer be advised.”
Are there driving habits you learned from your parents that you feel are already outdated? Let us know what you think at Philkotse.com.